The future will be electric, but in air and water this transition is proving more difficult than on land. Candle has taken a big step toward electrifying traditional gas-powered institutions like ferries with the P-12, a hydrofoil craft now under construction that could make passenger ships cleaner and quieter.
The company just took the craft (named for its length of 12 meters, about 39 feet) for its first “flight” in Stockholm, after announcing the development earlier this year, along with plenty of funding.
Candela’s boats are part of a new wave of boats that look more and more like aircraft, using an underwater “wing” to produce lift rather than simply pushing a V-shaped bow through the water. Startup Navier is looking at the same mid-sized passenger craft categories, while Boundary Layer aims to capture some of the Jet Ski (and possibly cargo) market.
While hydrofoils are by no means a new concept, the latest generation is inspired by fighter jets and other high-tech aircraft that hand over stability control to automated systems. A pilot can’t adjust his flaps 100 times a second to keep his fighter stable — such small tracking and changes are handled automatically.
Likewise in hydrofoil boats like Candela’s, which adjust the angle of attack on the hydrofoil at this rate, constantly responding to turbulence, weight changes and balance. The result is an incredibly stable ride that is driven entirely by wire. (They create so little turbulence in the water, in fact, that they’re allowed to bypass speed restrictions in some spots put in place to prevent wave damage. No wake? No problem.)
I had the opportunity to ride and drive a smaller C-8 in Seattle’s Elliott Bay earlier this year and it feels and feels unlike driving a regular boat. After a certain speed, there is an automated ‘take-off’ sequence that takes her to hydrofoil speed, greatly reducing water resistance and increasing performance as the hull rises completely out of the water. I was afraid it would be hard to maneuver up there, but it’s no different than a normal boat, except you’re kind of on stilts.
Candela P-8 pleasure boat in Seattle. Image Credits: Candle
The P-12 is the institutional continuation of the pleasure craft of the P-8. Designed to hold up to 30 people, it is intended to replace or complement larger ferries powered primarily by diesel engines or generators. These huge, often decades-old vessels are reliable and powerful (Seattle’s ferries accommodate hundreds of cars and people without a problem), but of course they consume huge amounts of fuel and pollute the waters they travel. Smaller ferries and water taxis operate at the margins of profitability due to fuel and maintenance costs.
Such vessels contribute about 3-4% of global CO2 emissions, but this number is expected to rise, perhaps more than double by mid-century, according to a study by the E.E. And of course their effects on waterways and the animals that live there are proportionally greater.
Close-up of the Candela P-12 hydrofoil struts — the wing is underwater. Image Credits: Candle
The P-12 is intended to replace smaller ferries, of course, because it cannot accommodate cars. But with a top speed of 30 knots and a range of up to 100 km (about 62 miles), the boats could easily cross many footpaths. Some cities—like the company’s native Stockholm—are already embracing the switch to electric boats, both out of an obligation to support clean energy and, ultimately, to save money.
The 30-seat production bus version of the P-12 (it also comes in a luxury half-seat version and an ultra-luxury private version) costs $1.7 million — not pocket change by any measure, but pretty affordable for a passenger vehicle of this caliber of size.
Add in fuel savings (Candela estimates the cost of fueling the boats at 10% of an equivalent fuel boat), a generally lower level of maintenance, and the fact that the whole thing can be run by one person instead of three or four… and the P- 12 is starting to look like a pretty smart investment.
Candela claims total savings of around 50% “per passenger kilometre”, which leaves significantly more scope for operations, profits and reinvestment.
Image Credits: Candle
“We’re not just offering a faster, more comfortable electric alternative to fossil-fueled ships,” Candela’s Erik Eklund said in a press release. “We enable operators to make the transition to sustainable vessels that are cost-effective and profitable, a critical step towards clean oceans and lakes.”
Navier recently toured several coastal cities to make a similar pitch, and various operators and city officials are impressed with the direction things are going. It’s not as simple as clearing the gauges – these things take time, and boats in service may already have many years on the water – but it provides a realistic next step that isn’t just another gas boat. would have fit 50 years ago.
While the two companies are nominally competitors, there’s simply no way two relatively small startups can meet the global demand for electric boats together, so they’re more like friendly rivals working for a good cause.
Meanwhile, electrification is coming to international shipping and smaller boats too — even converting that old dinghy in the garage if you’ve got 20 grams. A quieter, cleaner water future is on the way.
